Pinterest loves this haircut, and you will too.

Short haircuts for curly hair can be tricky thing. Chop too short and your curls won’t show off their full spiral. If strands are too long, curls could get weighed down and lose their bounce. Needless to say, we’ve been on an exhaustive hunt for the best haircuts for curly hair for quite some time. We searched high and low to find the ideal length, style, and cut; and we’re pretty sure we finally did.

We’re calling the style pictured here the curly shag and it’s going to make you want to book an appointment with your stylist, ASAP. The cut falls just above the shoulders and is characterized by lots of layers and a heavy part. We absolutely love how it frames the face without overwhelming—or giving us the feeling we would constantly be tucking it behind our ears or pinning it back.

When it comes to shoulder-length cuts for curly hair, it’s easy to fall prey to the triangle look—you know, the one that juts out from the top of the head in a triangle shape coming just above the shoulders. A mere mention of the triangle is enough to send any curly-haired woman into a full panic before chopping her locks. Avoiding the not-so-flattering look is completely doable, though. The key is plenty of layers. The stylist expertly crafted layer after layer to give curls the most spiral potential. We love how each curl lays gently on the other without stacking outward, instead, gently curving around the face. 

We even love the heavy part, which is again made possibly with the use of plenty of layers. The dramatic look gives the curls an almost tousled, woke-up-like-this effect that we absolutely love—and that will garner plenty of compliments when you take it for a spin.
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When you think about the humble widow’s peak, who comes to mind?
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Leonardo DiCaprio? Jude Law? The mighty Jack Nicholson?

These are just three famous blokes rocking the widow’s peak, but there are plenty more out there. Maybe you’ve got one yourself, and find settling on a hairstyle you like tricky.

If you don’t like your widow’s peak, what can you do to make it work for you?

Styling Choices

Depending on how thin your hair is and how far back your hairline has receded, you might feel tempted to shave your widow’s peak off.

Whatever you do, don’t!  Your best option is to just go with the widow’s peak and pick the best hairstyle for your face shape – some cuts mask or complement it.

One great option is to go for a pompadour style, which works best for wavy and straight hair. Your widow’s peak will actually make the pompadour look more prominent, giving you an advantage.

Of course, if you don’t fancy trying the ever-so-trendy pompadour style, try rocking a long fringe instead. Obviously, the length covers your widow’s peak, and is pretty low maintenance.

Another hairstyle that works brilliantly for widow’s peaks? Spikes. As with the pompadour, your widow’s peak will help to make your front spikes stand out more. Keep the hair short and tight around the sides to emphasize the main portion of the style.

For a softer look, go for a side part: with your hair slicked or pulled to one side, you’ll make the peak look smaller. This is a must-have style for modern guys, and if you combine it with a beard, you’ll look even better & more on-trend.

If you want something a bit more different, go for an asymmetrical style. This will add more texture and shape to your hairline, and draw attention from your widow’s peak.

Depending on your face shape, one hairstyle will suit you more than others; if you pick one that really, really doesn’t work for you, you might end up making your widow’s peak look even more prominent.
 
Have a chat with your stylist about your widow’s peak, and which cuts will suit your face shape best. Maybe take some pictures of celebrity hairstyles you like along with you, and be willing to take their advice. Their suggestions and ideas could well be better than you realize at first, so give them a chance.

This article first appeared on Rugged Yet Smooth

We’ve all experienced that post haircut disappointment after dropping $40 on a haircut and getting something that’s far from what you wanted. But who’s at fault here? While it’s possible that you could have just picked a not-so-great barbershop, even the best barbers need to know what you actually want in order to give it to you. The thing here is, it’s often not that easy to communicate what that thing is. There are a few things that your barber needs to know during your visit and here we’ll show you how to show them.

One of the most important parts of getting your hair cut is working out the length. Whilst you’re partly paying a visit to a barbershop to clean your mop up you’re also usually trying to cut it back a bit and prevent it from getting too long and unruly. But how long do you really want it? “Short on the sides and long on the top” is what many customers would say but this tells your barber only slightly more than nothing. Try and imagine the last time you saw a male hairstyle that wasn’t short on the sides and long on the top. I’ll wait.

There are two main ways you can go about describing the length you’d like your hair to be. You can either tell them how long it’s been since your last cut to give them an idea of how short you had it cut last time or you can describe the length with a tad more complexity. Simply telling your barber the size of the clipper you want on the sides (a number 2 for most men) and the length you’d like on the top (1.5-2 inches is a good place to start) can go a long way to helping them understand what kind of a cut you’re looking for.

You’ll also want to fill the barber in on if and how you style your hair as well as if you’d rather a tapered or blocked neckline. Most guys should probably go for a tapered neckline but, if you can pull it off, a blocked neckline can often set you apart from the rest.

It’s also important to be aware of the limits of your hair. Everyone’s hair is different and some styles only work on certain types of hair; if your barber tells you he can’t do it with your hair, he probably knows best.

Overall it’s imperative that you’re as descriptive as possible. Leaving things out or not fully fleshing out your ideas is a sure-fire way to miscommunicate what you want and can result in ending the trim with disappointment.

If you can’t do that, don’t shy away from bringing in a picture. The cliché is cliché for a reason – a picture really does speak a thousand words. When you’re struggling to get your ideas out there that thousand words goes a long way towards ensuring you get a haircut you’re comfortable and happy with.

Getting a haircut isn’t meant to be a difficult experience and as a modern man you should be able to comfortably describe to your barber what you want in a way that he can understand. If all else fails don’t be afraid to ask him for help or advice! Any good barber will be eager to help you with almost anything regarding hair. Which style looks better on you? What product should you use to achieve it? They’ll be happy to answer all of it. So just ask them! They might snip but they won’t bite.
 This article first appeared on Rugged Yet Smooth

​Slick back hair has done the rounds as the finishing touch of a corporate uniform. It’s simple, clean, and says you’re here to get shit done.

You might associate it with alpha male corporate warriors and sleazy sales guys in purple suits, but slick back hair can be the perfect antidote to a stale haircut that leaves you wanting something with a bit more punch.

Slick back hair projects a mature, business-first quality, and is sufficiently timeless that it won’t be consigned to the trash heap of out-of-fashion looks anytime soon. There’s room for this beyond the office, too. By playing with different products to suit the environment, you can also adapt it for weekend adventures when the suit and tie stays in the wardrobe.

This guide will give you a follicular roadmap to achieving a no-grease, no-sleaze slick back. You’ll discover whether your hair is up to the job, what products to use, and inspiring examples of the style to digest. Then, you can go back to watching Wall Street and studying stockbroking 101.

Is Your Hair Right For The Job?

Slick back hair is ubiquitous in western culture like bad dancing and guys called James, but that’s not to say it works for everyone. The texture, density, and growing pattern of your hair can make a huge difference in determining if you can pull the style off.

For starters, you probably know already that straight hair lends itself to a slicked back style. Straight hair follows a simple pattern, which is crucial for the overall shape of the cut. Hair growth direction is important, too. For some guys, hair naturally grows forward, making it resistant to the comb-and-pomade two punch routine.

If this sounds like you, then you need to think about getting cosy with a blow dryer and investing a bit more time in ‘training’ its shape. This won’t change the natural growing pattern, but it will make it slightly more co-operative to your styling attempts.

Thick hair can be an obstacle to getting this style right. A slicked back haircut generally necessitates low to medium density hair. Anything thicker, and you’ll find it’s difficult to both slick the hair back and maintain its shape. If you’ve found that your hair doesn’t stay in place, or requires handfuls of product, then ask the barber to use thinning shears. This alleviates some of the density in your hair, making it easier to pull back with a comb. Think of it as an inconvenient blessing. It’s better to have thick hair than none at all.

For curly haired gents, you might need to tap out early. It’s unlikely you’ll achieve Draper-esque slick style without investing your house mortgage in Olympic-pool quantities of pomade. That’s not to say the show can’t go on – you will just need to adapt the style to one that suits curly hair. These styles are messy off duty looks; think curly variations of David Beckham’s or a textured quiff.

Slick Back Hair Products

You’ve been to the local salon, and the product shelf seems to go on forever. There’s endless options for product out there – clay, paste, cream, pomade, gel, wax – and you might be feeling a bit of an information overload from all the choice. You’ll have the most success, however, if you keep it simple and stick to a pomade or clay – depending on the image you want to project.

Pomade is a definitive classic. It offers old-school, vintage appeal and is also a lifesaver for windy days. Pomade can subdue unruly hair, and keep everything where you need it for sustained periods of time, due to its weight. On the other hand, too much pomade – particularly high-shine, oil based products – can lead you into Wall Street bank shark territory.

Oil based pomades don’t wash out easily, either. As a result, water-based products are the best compromise for sufficient hold that won’t overstay its welcome after a solid washing. You will also find that pomade lends itself to a more formal, buttoned-up look that looks out of place in a casual environment.

So if you want to incorporate a schmick 1950’s corporate look, pomade is the man for the job. Remember, less is more with pomade – start with a little bit, evenly through the hair, and work your way up. Handfuls of product are for lounge lizards and clueless teenagers.

Clay is a more contemporary, versatile option. Clays come in a variety of options: heavy-duty concrete stuff for thick and unruly hair, or featherweight creams for something similar-but-not-quite pomade. Unlike oil or alcohol based products, clays are usually made with natural minerals (no nasty stuff). This adds texture and volume to your hair, which is ideal for casual effortlessness.

You will need to test a few different options to find which clay suits you – thick hair needs extreme hold clays, while thin, straight hair is usually happy with a lightweight option. Clays are the natural option for the guy who doesn’t spend too much time in the corporate rat race, and doesn’t feel at home with shiny hair.

No matter how desperate you find yourself, gel should stay on the shelf. Favoured by adolescents and early 2000’s revivalists, gel is usually alcohol-based, which will dehydrate your hair. Plus, it’s flammable. It’s unlikely that you will impress the girl at the bar if your head goes up in red-hot sparks.

For a finishing touch, remember that hairspray can lock your hair into place. But please, use it sparingly. Most hairsprays add a glossy finish (too much of which will make your hair look like a helmet). They’re also about as flammable as a remix of Stayin Alive. A spray or two at key points, and nothing more.

Tools & Equipment

The Undercut
Arguably the most popular short hairstyle of the last five years. Thanks to Boardwalk Empire and just about every other show with a stylish leading man, the undercut has done the rounds among the young and trying-to-stay-young as the haircut of the moment.

To achieve this, you will need to spend a chunk of time growing out the front with a tapered crown. Maintain blended sides and a medium fade, until you can slick the top over to the back of your head. Otherwise, the cut will look tropical-fruit disproportionate.  Afterwards, it’s a case of choosing a low or high fade. We recommend sitting somewhere in the middle.

A super low fade can lead you into 80’s finance territory, while a high fade can unfortunately exaggerate the shape of your head. That being said, the undercut is doing the rounds for a reason. It’s as versatile as.

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You can slick it back with pomade, or use clays for a more natural approach. Works well for the 9-5 and off duty fun. Straight, medium-density hair is the ticket here, but it can work with curly hair if you’re not chasing the Jimmy Darmody look.
 
This article first appeared on D'MARGE